More Racism on the Left

On Friday, AlterNet–you know, the organization that “confront[s] the failures of corporate media, as well as the vitriol and disinformation of right wing media, especially ‘hate talk’ media”–published a vile attack on conservative businessman Herman Cain, who was the last speaker at CPAC:

In the immortal words of Megatron in Transformers: The Movie, Herman Cain’s speech at CPAC really is bad comedy. As you know, I find black garbage pail kids black conservatives fascinating not because of what they believe, but rather because of how they entertain and perform for their White Conservative masters. …
Instead, Herman Cain’s shtick is a version of race minstrelsy where he performs “authentic negritude” as wish fulfillment for White Conservative fantasies. …
We always need a monkey in the window, for he/she reminds us of our humanity while simultaneously reinforcing a sense of our own superiority. Sadly, there are always folks who are willing to play that role because it pays so well.

One might have thought that the days of calling African-Americans “monkeys” were over. Not, however, among liberals. Who, exactly, authored this sick diatribe? We don’t know. The writer goes by the pseudonym “Chauncey DeVega.” But we do know that he is not just an anonymous internet crank, but rather has been validated by mainstream liberalism:

Editor and founder of the blog We Are Respectable Negroes which has been featured by the NY Times, the Utne Reader, and The Atlantic Monthly. Writing under a pseudonym, Chauncey DeVega’s essays on race, popular culture, and politics have appeared in various books, as well as on such sites as the Washington Post’s The Root and Popmatters.

So far, the NAACP has not expressed any dissatisfaction with a prominent African-American–Cain is the former Chairman and CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, as well as the former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City–being described as a monkey, a minstrel and a “garbage pail kid.” Thankfully, others have objected, most notably Dana Loesch.
Cain responded to Alternet’s vicious attack on his Facebook page:

Please join me in condemning AlterNet for their shameful behavior towards me and all black conservatives. Special thanks to my friends Niger Innis, Dana Loesch and Andrew Breitbart for standing with me.

After responses began pouring in, Cain added:

I am humbled by the outpouring support from friends and supporters across the country willing to stand with me to defend civil rights of ALL AMERICANS who love this country and believe in the power of the American Dream. May we never forget the dignity of the individual (which INCLUDES the freedom of thought) as the core of this great nation’s founding and as the calling of this great nation’s future.

It wouldn’t hurt to follow the link and express your support for Mr. Cain’s freedom of speech. The prevalence of racism on the left is one of the more shocking features of our current political life, and must be consistently resisted.